Improvement in blast-governors for grain-separators



v2 Sheets-Sheet 1K. T. H E E.

. 'Blast-Iovernors-frol Grain-Sepa'ral'tors y No. 138,563. Ratentedmay6,1873.

l Vlll` lull @5M Thomas. Hge.,

Pn'rnlv'r OFFrcn,

THOMAS HOGE, OF VVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

MPROVEMENT IN BLAST-GOVERNORS FOR GRAIN-SEPARATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l38,563, dated May 6,1873; application filed March 3, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS HOGE, of Washington, District of Columbia,have invented an Automatic Blast-Governor, of which the following is aspecification:

My invention consists in making, automatically, a regular and constantcurrent of air through the pipes or trunks of smut and separating orother machines, using air-currents, whether produced by suction, orblowing of fans, or otherwise, and of maintaining` such regularityconstantly while the speed of the driving power may be irregular andvarying.

In order for a current of air to be strong enough to lift and carry offone kind of grain and not another kind somewhat heavier--as, forinstance, to separate chess from wheat it requires a certain amount offorce, which is equivalent to the moving of the air a certain definitenumber of feet per second, which is also equivalent to a definite andconstant number of ounces pressure per square foot on the surface of`the trunk through which it passes. Thus, if an upward current of air,moving at the rate of ten feet per second, produce a pressure of tenounces per square foot on the inside of the trunk conveying it, and besucient to lift grains of chess in one instance, then it is evident thatthis speed of air will, under like circumstances, always produce likepressure and lift similar grains. Conversely, if we maintain a uniformpressure on the inside of the trunk by an air-current, we get a constantspeed of air and the same kind of work done by it constantly.

My invention consists in the discovery and practical application ofthese principles. If we use a piston fitted loosely into a cylinderwhich is connected at one end with the aircurrent, then the piston willbe acted upon by the pressure, external or internal; as the case may be;and if sufficient force, in the form of weights or sprin gs, be appliedto the piston, so as to act in a direction opposite to the airpressure,and just sufficient to balance the pressure produced by a current of tenfeet per second, the piston will remain suspended in Whatever positionit may occupy in the cylinder, as the area of the piston and weightremains the same in whatever position they occupy; but if the current beincreased slightly the piston will be drawn toward one end of thecylinder 5 if decreased, it will move toward the other end. Now, if weconnect this piston, by suitable rods and levers, to the arm of abutterliy or other balanced valve in the trunk, the motions of thepiston will be communicated to the valve, and when properly adjusted thespeed or pressure of the air-current becomes self-regulating and thecurrent maintained uniform. If the current be produced by suctioninstead of 4compression, then the pressure will be external instead ofinternal, and the piston acted upon in the opposite direction from thelast case, and the balancing Weight must also be arranged to act in theopposite direction.

Any other arrangement acting upon the same principle may also be usedinstead of the piston and cylinder-as, for instance, a bellows, or thecontrivance shown in the accompanying drawing and forming part of thisspecifi-l cation, in which- Figure l, Plate 1, shows a perspective viewof a portion of an air-trunk, B, used in grainseparators, with myinvention attached. Fig. 2, Plate 2, is a side elevation, and Fig. 3 afront elevation, of the same thing, with portions of the trunk B brokenaway in each to show the butterfly-valve H within.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in each f1 gure.' n

C represents a kind of valve like one-half of a butterfly-valve, or agate swinging on a pivot or shaft, m, as a hinge, and fitting loosely inthe box A, at any angle, through which it turns. There is an openingfrom the back part of the box A, through into the air-trunk B, throughwhich the air may be partly exhausted by suction from behind the valveC,which will draw C backward toward the trunk B, thus elevating the armD on the shaft m, thus raising the bar f and the arm or crank g of thebutterfly-valve Il, which will partially shut oft' the aircurrent at Hand diminishthe air-pressure on the valve C until it will stop moving 5or, if diminished too much, then the force of the weight W, connected bythe cord e to the lever D, will pull the valve C back again, thusopening the valve H by their connections, as before stated. Thus, if thespeed of the fan or other machine producing the airon the valve H,causing it to close sufficiently to just maintain a current in Bsuflcient to `balance the Weight W. By adding a little more weight tothe Weight W it will pull a little harder on 0 and open the valve H alittle more, thus producing an air-current of a little more force, whichthen remains at this increased force until again changed by adding to ortaking from the weight W. The weight W, being suspended from a curvewhose center is in m, will exert an equal force on C in whateverposition it occupies, as its leverage is always the same, and the areaof C being always the same it will always require a uniform force of airin the trunk above H to balance W in whatever position it assumes, nodifference how much it varies below H so long as there is air enoughwhen all turned on to balance W.

The cord e and Weight W may be conveyed from the machine in one part ofthe building to any other part where most` convenient for adjusting theweight to suit different kinds of grain, or other work, without going tothe machine itself.

If the air-current be produced by blast instead of suction the pressurewill be outward on C instead of inward, and it only becomes necessary toturn the arm D around one hundred and eighty degrees on the shaft m,with the cord e and rod f attached, when the Weight will againcounterbalance the forceon C and regulate H, as before.

I claim- A blast-regulatin g valve, automatically adjusted by means ofanother valve or piston suitably connected to it, the latter beingactuated by the difference in pressure of the blast and the externalair, substantially as and for the purpose described.

THOMAS HOGE.

Witnesses:

J AMES W. PHILLIPS, J. JACKSON PURMAN.

